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As Minister of Industry, I am proud to present this report on Statistics Canada's anticipated achievements and results over the next three years. Through the efforts of Statistics Canada and its Portfolio partners, we are working to ensure that Canada has the necessary business and innovation environment to foster a culture of discovery and creativity to fuel economic success and support our enviable quality of life.
Today, we operate in a globalized economy where electronic commerce drives complex and interconnected supply chains from around the world and anyone can be our competitor. To thrive, we need a dynamic and adaptable economy — one with a highly trained work force and nimble businesses striving for competitive growth and development.
Looking ahead, we see the need to enhance Canada's business environment, including improving the critical ground rules that ensure stability, equitable conduct and competition for consumers, investors and businesses. Used strategically, these efforts can encourage investment in innovation, afford easier access to capital, support risk-taking and entrepreneurship, and ensure the efficient and productive allocation of resources.
The Industry Portfolio consists of:
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We are working to reduce barriers to and within our markets and to encourage more domestic and foreign investment. We are supporting and defending our industries. We are working to improve business and consumer confidence. And we are supporting science, technology, research and development to encourage our industries, our businesses and our workforce to keep pace with technological change and drive innovation throughout our economy. And the demand for innovation across the Canadian economy — including in the areas of health care, climate change, productivity and the competitiveness of Canadian firms — continues to rise.
As presented in this report, Statistics Canada initiatives will help make Canada a better place to innovate and do business.
It is my pleasure to present the Report on Plans and Priorities for Statistics Canada.
Maxime Bernier
Minister of Industry
Statistics Canada's mandate derives primarily from the Statistics Act. The Act requires the Agency, under the direction of the Minister of Industry, to collect, compile, analyze and publish statistical information on the economic, social and general conditions of the country and its citizens. These activities are fundamentally important to an open, democratic society as it provides objective information to Canadians and their elected representatives on the evolution of our society and economy. The Agency's information resources are also used by businesses, unions and non-profit organizations to make informed decisions.
Statistics Canada's mandate also provides for the coordination and leadership of the country's statistical system. This has led Statistics Canada to form many partnerships at the federal, provincial and territorial levels. These partnerships have benefited Canadians in many ways: improved data quality through more comparable survey methods; reduced response burden through the use of administrative records and data sharing; and the exchange of best practices among all participants are a few examples.
Agency data are used for statutory and regulatory purposes including the distribution of federal funds to provinces (Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act); apportioning of federal-provincial tax revenues (Harmonized Sales Tax); indexing various types of federal payments to beneficiaries and income tax credits (Income Tax Act); determining areas of eligibility for supplementary benefits (Employment Insurance Act); determining the distribution of parliamentary seats among provinces and defining federal electoral districts (Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act); designating federal bilingual services areas (Official Languages Act); and measuring the prevalence of sub-populations which are the focus of the federal employment equity program (Employment Equity Act).
The gathering of information involves a partnership with all Canadians, in which Canadians contribute and benefit. Information is provided to Statistics Canada through surveys and access to administrative records. While Statistics Canada, after compiling and analyzing this information, provides feedback through a myriad of information products.
Historically, Statistics Canada's program has been structured to provide information on the macro and micro-economy, and the socio-demographic structure of Canada. Statistical information has also been provided on Canada's public institutions and programs. This constitutes the Agency's core program (Section IV presents the 29 main statistical indicators that make up the core program). Such information continues to be relevant and important; however, the Agency must ensure that it is responsive to changing complex requirements of emerging issues. New federal-provincial fiscal arrangements; the health of Canadians and the systems that support it; the factors affecting economic performance in the new knowledge-based economy; economic growth; the micro-economic factors affecting competitiveness; social cohesion; human development; global opportunities and challenges, as well as the outcomes of social programs are some of the areas requiring more information and analysis to assist public and private decision makers in understanding the issues they face. In this dynamic environment, maintaining the relevance of Statistics Canada's contribution by meeting such information needs, while safeguarding the integrity of the core program, continues to be a primary goal for the Agency over the planning horizon.
Partnerships and cost-sharing arrangements with other departments, other jurisdictions and external organizations, have become an intrinsic aspect of program delivery. These relationships are key to the development of effective business plans. Statistics Canada will continue to foster such arrangements over the planning period, as they have proven to serve not only the needs of the stakeholders but also those of the national statistical system and the Canadian research community.
While an increasing share of the Agency's information comes from existing administrative data, most is still collected through businesses and from household surveys. Statistics Canada will continue to mine administrative records and to explore other means, such as electronic reporting, in an ongoing effort to minimize the effort required of respondents.
Statistics Canada's valuesThe agency recognizes that survey respondents are Statistics Canada's most valuable asset, since it is their continued goodwill and cooperation that enables the Agency to turn survey results into reliable information. We make two fundamental commitments to them:
First, to protect the confidentiality of information provided to us. Second, to find innovative ways to reduce the time spent completing the surveys and, ideally, to use the Agency's existing information to minimize the number of surveys.
The relevance of statistical information reflects the degree to which it meets the needs of clients. Available information must shed light on the issues of most importance to those who use it. Statistics Canada is committed to producing information needed to support informed policy formulation, decision-making, and research.
In order to meet these requirements, the Agency operates in a matrix management environment, such that the business lines (program activities) and functional (hierarchical) structure are interrelated (see Section III).
The planning activities highlighted in the summary table below (see Departmental Priorities) concentrate on those program areas above and beyond our core activities, where significant program changes are envisaged in the coming period. All of these will be subject to review and reporting using Statistics Canada's Quality Assurance Framework.
"To be consistent with the Government efforts to develop its priorities and leading to a new budget, departments have been directed to repeat 2006-2007 Main Estimate amounts in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 periods -- this table reflects that direction."
Table 1.1: Statistics Canada – Summary Information
Reason for existence - Statistics Canada's mandate is to provide Canadians with objective and non-partisan statistics and statistical products, services and analyses on Canada's economy and society which are relevant, responsive to emerging issues fulfil legal requirements and are of high quality. | ||||
Financial Resources ($ thousands) | ||||
2006-2007
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2007-2008
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2008-2009
|
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598,803
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427,588
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394,827
|
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Human Resources | ||||
2006-2007
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2007-2008
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2008-2009
|
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6,242
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5,103
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4,820
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Departmental Priorities | ||||
Planned Spending
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Strategic Objectives
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Type
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2006-2007
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2007-2008
|
2008-2009
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Economic Statistics |
Ongoing
|
|||
Modernizing Customs and Trade |
|
319
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319
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319
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Environmental Indicators |
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2,056
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2,227
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2,230
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Business Register Redesign |
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14,159
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14,404
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9,799
|
Greenhouse Gas |
|
650
|
450
|
450
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Services Price Index |
|
2,239
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3,360
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4,418
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Social Statistics |
Ongoing
|
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Child-centered Family Law Strategy |
|
765
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725
|
-
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Health Statistics Program |
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17,825
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17,825
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17,825
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Census Statistics |
Ongoing
|
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2006 Census (population and agriculture) |
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225,735
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53,178
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21,324
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